Cæs.
The ides of March are come.

Sooth.
Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

Art.
Hail, Cæsar! Read this schedule.

Dec.
Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Art.
O, Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit
That touches Cæsar nearer: Read it, great Cæsar.

Cæs.
What touches us ourself, shall be last serv'd.

Art.
Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.

Cæs.
What, is the fellow mad?

Pub.
Sirrah, give place.

Cas.
What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol. [Cæsar enters the Capitol, the rest following.]

Pop.
I wish, your enterprize to-day may thrive.

Cas.
What enterprize, Popilius?

Pop.
Fare you well.

Bru.
What said Popilius Lena?

Cas.
He wish'd, to-day our enterprize might thrive.
I fear, our purpose is discovered.

Bru.
Look, how he makes to Cæsar: Mark him.

Cas.
Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.—
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius, or Cæsar, never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.

Bru.
Cassius, be constant:
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;
For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.

Cas.
Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way. Exeunt Ant. and Treb.

Dec.
Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,
And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

Bru.
He is addrest^{6 note}

Cin.
Casca, you are the first that rear your hand^{7 note}.

Cæs.
Are we all ready? What is now amiss,
That Cæsar, and his senate, must redress?

Met.
Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Cæsar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat [Kneeling.
An humble heart:—

Cæs.
I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings, and these lowly courtesies,
Might fire the blood of ordinary men;
^{8 note}And turn pre-ordinance, and first decree,
^{9 note}

Low-crooked curt'sies, and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished;
If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn, for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know, Cæsar doth not wrong; nor without cause
Will he be satisfied^{1 note}

Met.
Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear,
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

Bru.
I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar;
Desiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

Cæs.
What, Brutus!

Cas.
Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon:
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

Cæs.
I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fixt, and resting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumbred sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So, in the world; 'Tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and ^{2 note}

Cin.
O Cæsar,—

Cæs.
Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?

Dec.
Great Cæsar,—

Cæs.
^{5 note}

Casca.
Speak, hands, for me. [They stab Cæsar.

Cæs.
Et tu, Brute?—Then fall, Cæsar! [Dies.

Cin.
Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!—
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

Cas.
Some to the common pulpits, and cry out,
Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!

Bru.
People, and senators! be not affrighted;
Fly not; stand still:—ambition's debt is paid.

Casca.
Go to the pulpit, Brutus^{6 note}.

Dec.
And Cassius too.

Bru.
Where's Publius?

Cin.
Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

Met.
Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar's
Should chance—

Bru.
Talk not of standing:—Publius, good cheer;
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else^{7 note}: so tell them, Publius.

Cas.
And leave us, Publius; lest that the people,
Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.

Bru.
Do so;—and let no man abide this deed,
But we the doers. Re-enter Trebonius.

Cas.
Where is Antony?

Tre.
Fled to his house amaz'd:

Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and run,
As it were dooms-day.

Bru.
Fates! we will know your pleasures:—
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

Cas.
Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life,
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

Bru.
Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
So are we Cæsar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death.—^{8 note}

Cas.
Stoop then, and wash.—How many ages hence,
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,
In states unborn, and accents yet unknown?

Bru.
How many times shall Cæsar bleed in sport,

That now on Pompey's basis lies along,
No worthier than the dust?

Cas.
So oft as that shall be,
So often shall the knot of us be call'd
The men that gave their country liberty.

Dec.
What, shall we forth?

Cas.
Ay, every man away:
Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome. Enter a Servant.

Bru.
Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's.

Serv.
Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel;
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down;
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say.
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Cæsar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:
Say, I love Brutus, and I honour him;
Say, I fear'd Cæsar, honour'd him, and lov'd him.
If Brutus will vouchsafe, that Antony
May safely come to him, and be resolv'd
How Cæsar hath deserv'd to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Cæsar dead
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state,
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

Bru.
Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;
I never thought him worse.
Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour,
Depart untouch'd.

Serv.
I'll fetch him presently. [Exit Servant.

Bru.
I know, that we shall have him well to friend.

Cas.
I wish, we may: but yet have I a mind,
That fears him much; and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

Re-enter Antony.

Bru.
But here comes Antony.—Welcome, Mark Antony.

Ant.
O mighty Cæsar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure?—Fare thee well.—
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, ^{9 note}who else is rank:
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Cæsar's death's hour; nor no instrument
Of half that worth, as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Bru.
O Antony! beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands, and this our present act,
You see we do; yet see you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done:
Our hearts you see not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, so pity, pity)
Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony:
^{1 note}

Of brothers' temper, do receive you in
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

Cas.
Your voice shall be as strong as any man's,
In the disposing of new dignities.

Bru.
Only be patient, 'till we have appeas'd
The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause,
Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

Ant.
I doubt not of your wisdom.
Let each man render me his bloody hand:
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;—
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;—
Now, Decius Brutus, yours;—now yours, Metellus;—
Yours, Cinna;—and, my valiant Casca, yours;—
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all,—alas! what shall I say?
My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward, or a flatterer.—
That I did love thee, Cæsar, O, 'tis true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy death,

To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! in the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better, than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius!—Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart;
Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand,
Sign'd in thy spoil, and ^{2 note}

Cas.
Mark Antony,—

Ant.
Pardon me, Caius Cassius:
The enemies of Cæsar shall say this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Cas.
I blame you not for praising Cæsar so;
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends;
Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

Ant.
Therefore I took your hands; but was, indeed,
Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Cæsar.

Friends am I with you all, and love you all;
Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons,
Why, and wherein, Cæsar was dangerous.

Bru.
Or else were this a savage spectacle:
Our reasons are so full of good regard,
That were you, Antony, the son of Cæsar,
You should be satisfied.

Ant.
That's all I seek:
And am moreover suitor, that I may
Produce his body to the market-place;
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

Bru.
You shall, Mark Antony.

Cas.
Brutus, a word with you.—
You know not what you do; Do not consent, [Aside.
That Antony speak in his funeral:
Know you how much the people may be mov'd
By that which he will utter?

Bru.
By your pardon;—
I will myself into the pulpit first,
And shew the reason of our Cæsar's death:
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission;
And that we are contented, Cæsar shall
Have all true rites, and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more, than do us wrong.

Cas.
I know not what may fall; I like it not.

Bru.
Mark Antony, here, take you Cæsar's body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Cæsar;
And say, you do't by our permission;
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral: And you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.

Ant.
Be it so;
I do desire no more.

Bru.
Prepare the body then, and follow us. [Exeunt Conspirators. Manet Antony.

Ant.
O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man,
That ever lived ^{4 note}in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy^{5 note}